Motor mounting



"May "1'4, 194s.

W. WELLSTEIN MOTOR MOUNTING Filed De c. 7,1944

.3 Sheets-Shet 1 I W. WELLSTEIN MOTOR MOUNTING Filed Dec. 7, 1944 May 1&[19461 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fizz/622k)" WzZheZm WeZLSZe/in Y AMA (/ZQO??? s A Patented May 14, 1946 ..Wilhelm. Wellstein Detroit, Mich assignor to Ex-Cell-OCorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application December 7, 194 4, SeriaLNo. 567,031

4 Claims.

and unwieldy obstruction to access to conduits,

pipes, valves, gears, switches, and the other items, which frequently surround it in a veritable labyrinth Withinthe housing, especially in automatic or semi-automatic machines of any substantial complication. Moreoventhe motor-itself is difiicult of'access for purposes ofinspection and repair.

Generally .stated, :the object of the present invention is to provide a novel motor mounting of such character that an electric drive motor housed in a machine base or the like can be swung out of the housing with complete freedom and ease .01v motion to clear the adjacent machine elements within the housing for free access and to locate the motor itself where it is clear of all obstruction.

A furtherobject is .to provide a swinging type motor mounting embodying a novel arrangement for wedgingly locking the mounting firmly in motor-operating position.

Still another object is to, provide a mounting .of; the general type indicated andincorporating an arrangement for adjusting the tension of a belt which forms a disconnectable drive connection from the motorwhen it is in operating position.

Further objects and advantages ofthe invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from the rear sideof amachine equipped with a motor mounting arrangement embodying the, present invention,, the motor, in this instance being shown aspositioned within the housingin condition for operation and the housing :itself beinggshown in phantom.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the'motor swung-out of the machine base or housing to. afiord free access to the interior of Such motors are often housed within,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view takensubstantially along the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the inventionhas been shown as applied to the mounting of an electric drive motor l0 normally housed in the base II of a machine too-L'such for example as a tool bit grinder. As the following description proceeds, it will-be apparent tothose skilled in the art that the present invention is applicable to the mountingof motors in-many other-types and. forms :of machine 'and machine tools. Accordinglythere is nointention to limit the invention to1the particularv application .of the sameherein illustrated. On the contrary; the, in-

tention is to cover all applications," adaptations and, alternative constructions :falling Within the spirit and scopeof the invention as expressedin the appended claims.

In the:instant, embodiment, themachine base -II isa generally-rectangular cast metal shell suitably webbed and reenforcedand constitutes contained within the housing. Detailing of the same, for the particular machine shown is'unnecessary, since they may and usually do take different specific form in each different type of machine. The point here to be noted is thatin any such machine employing a base or housing with a smooth unobstructed exterior, the interior is likely-to be crowded with a maze of intricately related parts. The drive motor is usually one of the bulkiest items in such a compartment. Being large and heavy, dragging it out would, in the absence of the novel arrangement herein. disclosed, be a most difficult matter, particularly since its location is almost inevitably such as to make attachment of a chain hoist impossible.- .But without removing the motor, repair and maintenance of either; it or, more particularly, of thesurrounding machine parts requires .the service. man to be something of a contort-ionist as well as expert mechanic.

Pursuant to the aim ofthe presentinvention,

. provision has been made for swinging the motor I!) clear of the compartment "I2 S0 asto expose both the motor. and the interior. Ofpthfi compartment for easy andunobstructed access. aFor :thatgpurpose a; flat: vertically-2 disposed supporting leaf M is arranged to carry the motor l and is pivoted to swing about a vertical axis located adjacent one side edge of the opening IS in the rear side of the base ll. Such leaf M has suitable reenforcing webs Ma and a pair of integral gudgeons IS on its rear edge journaled on a hingle pintle or pin I! carried by brackets 18 rigid with the machine base II. The supporting leaf M is thus pivoted to swing about the axis of the pin I! from the motor-operating position of Fig. 1 (in which the leaf projects forwardly within the compartment [2 along one side of the latter) to a withdrawn or outthrust position for the motor in which the leaf projects generally rearwardly from the machine base as shown in Fi 2.

Utilization of a vertical axis of swing for the leaf [4 is important in that with such an arrangement the weight of the motor is borne at all times, and in its entirety, by the pivotal supports l6, ll, 18 for the leaf. At no time does the service man have to support any part of the motor weight in moving it.

A disconnectable form of drive connection is employed between the motor Hi and machine element or elements which it drives, such connection preferably being a belt. In the present instance, an endless V-belt I9 is led over the motor pulley 20 and a driven pulley 2| secured to a spindle 22 which may, for example, be the grinding wheel spindle in the machine shown. The motor H] is, in the present arrangement, mounted with its shaft disposed vertically.

To accommodate adjustment of the tension in the belt 19, as well as to facilitate removal of the belt from the motor pulley 20 when swinging the motor out of the base H, provision is made for positional adjustment of the motor on the supporting leaf M in a direction transaxial of the motor. For that purpose, motor feet Illa are bolted to a slide 23 in the form of a rectangular flat plate which is mounted in dovetailed guides 24 on the supporting leaf M to shift endwise of the latter r, in other words, transaxially of the motor. The slide 23 is moved along its guideways 24 by rotation of an adjusting screw 25 threaded in the leaf I4 and having its inner end rotatably secured in a bracket 2'6 fixed to the slide. The squared outer end 25a of this screw projects beyond the end of the supporting leaf M- in position for ready gripping of the same by a wrench. v v

The motor Hi may be of several horsepower capacity and, consequently, a very sturdy and effectual locking arrangement is required for fixing it rigidly in place during operation of the motor if excessive vibration is to be avoided. In the presentinstance, provision has been made for wedgingly locking the leaf I4 to an interiorly located rib '2? integral with the machine base I! (see Fig. 3). The leaf l4 and slide 23 are dimensioned so that the forward end portion of the slide will overlie and abut solidly against the adjacent side face of the rib 2'! when the leaf is swung into the housing in motor-operating position. A shallow recess 23 is fashioned in the opposite side face of the rib 21, and the tapered nose 2% of a locking screw 29 is arranged to be projected into this recess and wedge against the bottom wall of the latter. The locking screw 29 is, like the slide adjusting screw 25, threaded in the leaf M and has a squared end 29a projecting in position for engagement by a wrench.

The operation of the disclosed apparatus will in general be clear from the foregoing. By way of brief recapitulation, it may be assumed first of all that the motor I0 is to be located in operating position. In such case, the supporting leaf I4 is swung into the position shown in Fig. l, in which the motor is located within the compartment l2. The locking screw 29 is rotated to advance its tapered nose portion 291) into the recess 28', thereby wedging the rib 2! between the locking screw nose and forward edge portion of the slide 23 so that the slide, motor and leaf are rigidly held against displacement or vibration. The belt [9 is shifted onto the two pulleys and 2|, and the screw adjusted to tension the belt to a desired degree. Thereafter, the machine may be operated in the usual manner and the belt tension may be adjusted from time to time by the screw 25 as may be required.

Whenever it is necessary to have access to the machine elements located in the compartment l2, or to work on the motor In, the motor is swung out of the compartment. In so doing, the service man has only to turn the adjusting screw 25 to loosen the belt l9 so that it can be slipped off of the pulley 20 and then back off the locking screw 29. Thereupon the leaf [4 is free to swing outward. about its pivot pin ll, carrying the motor with it. Current supply leads to the motor may be provided in the form'of an ordinary flexible cable (not shown) so that they do not impede the free movement of the motor. Iii-swinging the motor into the clear, the leaf I4 is normally swung through an arc of about or even a little more if desired.

r Once the motor I0 is thus removed from the compartment [2, a crawl space is afforded so that the service man can get into the compartment and inspect or repair the various other machine elements housed in it.

Should it be desired to alter the tension in the belt I9 by adjusting screw 25 after the leaf I4 has been clamped in place, it is desirable to loosen such clamping slightly before turning the screw 25. That is for the reason that in course of such clamping the slide 23 is pressed tightly against the rib 21 and movement of the slide is necessary in shifting the motor to alter belt tension. Accordingly, the locking screw 29 should be backed off slightly preliminary to turning the adjusting screw 25.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a housing structure defining an interiorly located motor compartment having an opening in one side, a generally flat supporting leaf hinged along one edge on said housing to swing about a vertical axis adjacent one side of said opening, said leaf being swingable from a first position in which it projects into said compartmentsubstantially at right angles to the plane of said one side of said compartment through an angle of substantially 180 to a second position in which said leaf projects outward from the open wall of said structure substantially at right angles to the latter, an electric motor fixed to the face of said leaf which is forward durin swing of said leaf from said first to said second position, means for releasably locking said leaf rigid with said housing when said leaf is in said first position, and means for drivingly connecting said motor to a driven machine element when said leaf is in said first position.

2. The combination of a housing structure defining an interiorly located motor compartment having an opening in one side, a support having a slide mounted in guideways thereon for adjusting movement along said guideways, an electric motor fixed to said slide with the motor disposed transversely of the path of movement of said slide along said guideways means including an motor and a supporting structure therefor 10- f cating the motor with its axis substantially vertical, means pivoting said supporting structure to swing in an arcuate path about a vertical axis between alternate first and second positions inwhich said motor is disposed respectively inside and outside said compartment, said motor pass ing through said opening in moving from one position to the other, means including an endless belt for forming a disconnectable drive connection from said motor to a driven element Within said housing when said supporting structure is in said first position, said housing presenting an interiorly located rib rigid therewith and positioned for abutment of said supporting structure against one side face thereof when insaid first position, whereby to locate said supporting structure accurately in such first position, and means for releasably clamping said supporting structure to said rib. V

4.-The combination of a housing structure defining an interiorly located motor compartment having an opening in one side, a support having a slide mounted in guideways thereon for adjusting movement along said guideways, an electric motor fixed to said slide with the motor disposed transversely of the path of movement of said slide along said guideways, means pivoting said support to swing in an arcuate path between alternate first and second positions in which said motor is disposed respectively inside and outside said compartment, said motor passing through said opening in moving from one position to the other, means including an endless belt for forming a disconnectable drive connection from said motor to a driven element within said housing when said support is in said first position, said housing presenting an interiorly ,located rib rigid therewith and positioned for abutment of said slide against one side face thereof when in said first position, whereby to locate said support and slide accurately in-such first position, a pair of screws rotatably threaded in said support,'one of said screws being connected to said slide for adjusting the latter positionally along said guideways, and the other screw having a tapered nose portion positioned for projection into contact with the side face of said rib opposite said one face thereof, whereby to Wedgingly clamp said rib between said slide and said tapered screw nose and thereby hold said slide rigidly against displacement.

WILHELM WELLSTEIN. 

